Master of Accounting Program Starting in 2013

New degree meets credit requirements to sit for CPA exam.

Mankato, Minn. – Minnesota State University, Mankato recently was notified that it has been approved to offer a new master of accounting degree program beginning in fall 2013. The addition of the new program will allow students to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting in five years from Minnesota State Mankato’s College of Business while also meeting the 150-credit requirement to sit for the certified public accountant (CPA) exam.

The master of accounting program will be the only program of its type available through the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system in southern Minnesota. It is being added in response to a workforce demand for more accounting professionals, higher educational demands from the profession and the fact that relatively few programs currently are available in the state, said William Brown, chair of accounting and business law at Minnesota State Mankato.

Brown said the program will be one of the most affordable in the region. With class offerings in both Mankato and Edina, he said the master of accounting program will appeal to students who are emerging from an undergraduate program as well as those who may already be employed.

“It’s a great option for students currently pursuing their accounting degrees and could also be ideal for those in the workforce who are looking to give their career a boost,” said Brown.

Furthermore, the master of accounting offering is consistent with national trends for accounting education, said Brown. According to Brown, there has been a substantial increase in master’s graduates being hired by accounting firms during the past several years. In 2010, Brown said, 37 percent of all graduates hired by accounting firms had master’s degrees, up from 14 percent in 2000.

“Minnesota State Mankato accounting graduates are being placed at very high rates despite record high national unemployment rates,” said Brown. “With a close relationship to the business leaders and accounting professionals that make up our advisory board and the master of accounting program to fully prepare our students for the CPA exam, our graduates will be assured of success upon graduation,” Brown said.

Under the current model at Minnesota State Mankato, accounting students can earn a bachelor’s degree with 120 credits. But because accounting students must have 150 credit hours to sit for the CPA exam, Minnesota State Mankato students frequently double major to reach 150 credits while pursuing their undergraduate degree. The new program will provide students the option to earn a master of accounting degree with their 30 additional credits instead of a second undergraduate major.

A survey of student interest was conducted in 2012 to determine the demand among accounting students at Minnesota State Mankato for the master of accounting. More than 84 percent of the accounting majors in the College of Business had plans to sit for the CPA exam and thus needed 150 credits to qualify.

The master of accounting program will be a parallel offering to the master of business administration offered by the College of Business.

“We are delivering more much value to our accounting grads with this offering,” said Minnesota State Mankato College of Business Dean Brenda Flannery. “The master of accounting program approval shows that the College of Business is providing our students the education necessary to be competitive in today’s challenging business environment. This program assures continued high demand for our accounting grads and is consistent with our accreditation.”

Minnesota State Mankato’s College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, which promotes continuous quality improvement in management and accounting education. The association was founded in 1916, and standards for business administration were first set in 1919. Minnesota State Mankato’s College of Business is one of only seven AACSB-accredited business programs in Minnesota.

Contact William Brown, chair of the accounting and business law program, at (507) 389-5427 or william.brown@mnsu.edu with questions about the new master of accounting program. More information is also available about the Minnesota State Mankato master of accounting program online at www.cob.mnsu.edu/macc/ and information on Minnesota State Mankato’s overall accounting program is available online at www.cob.mnsu.edu/acct/.

Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university, is part of the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities system, a system of 31 public colleges and universities with 54 campuses in 47 communities throughout the state of Minnesota.